14 votes

Rep. Justin Amash “looking closely” at third-party run in US presidential election

Posted by moocow1452
Tags: politics, 2020 us presidential election, justin amash, usa, libertarian party, author.elliot hannon, source.slate, paywall
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/04/trumps-total-authority-justin-amash-libertarian-third-party-run.html

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Title
Trump's "Total Authority" Claim Has Rep. Justin Amash "Looking Closely" at Third-Party Run
Authors
Elliot Hannon
Published
Apr 14 2020
Word count
476 words

10 comments

  1. [2]
    gpl
    Link
    I wonder how this would play out. The 2018 midterms showed us that there are a lot of former Republican voters in suburban areas that do not like Trump. I think as things stands some of these...

    I wonder how this would play out. The 2018 midterms showed us that there are a lot of former Republican voters in suburban areas that do not like Trump. I think as things stands some of these voters would be willing to vote for Biden especially given that these districts swung blue in 2018 pretty hard. If there is a third candidate who is a "traditional Republican" I feel they would be more comfortable voting for him than for Biden or Trump. So it's not clear to me at least initially if this would draw more would-be Trump voters or would-be Biden voters.

    6 votes
    1. NaraVara
      Link Parent
      The GOP's whole game plan in any general election is to conflate any attempts to make the government work properly with Venezuelan Socialism and gulags. The people who won't vote for Biden despite...

      So it's not clear to me at least initially if this would draw more would-be Trump voters or would-be Biden voters.

      The GOP's whole game plan in any general election is to conflate any attempts to make the government work properly with Venezuelan Socialism and gulags. The people who won't vote for Biden despite disliking Trump are the people who take that nonsense seriously. And that's probably the only people Amash would attract.

      3 votes
  2. [3]
    patience_limited
    Link
    For the record, Rep. Amash is a very hard-core, ideological Libertarian who's always been a somewhat awkward fit for the increasingly authoritarian, religious, populist bent of the present-day...

    For the record, Rep. Amash is a very hard-core, ideological Libertarian who's always been a somewhat awkward fit for the increasingly authoritarian, religious, populist bent of the present-day Republican Party base. He's shown remarkable ideological consistency (with the exception of anti-abortion policy). He's charismatic and articulate enough to appeal to other intellectual Libertarians. Amash has historical backing from the political anti-regulatory/anti-tax powerhouses Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity.

    He's a perfect haven candidate for Never-Trumpers who can't bear to vote Democratic. Let him run, and hopefully pull away whatever Trump support he can.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      NoblePath
      Link Parent
      Shouldn’t intellectuals be wary of charisma?

      Shouldn’t intellectuals be wary of charisma?

      2 votes
      1. patience_limited
        Link Parent
        Certainly - I'm not suggesting that Amash is a sensible choice, just that he may appeal to the Trump supporters who are already choosing, consciously or unconsciously, on the basis of looks,...

        Certainly - I'm not suggesting that Amash is a sensible choice, just that he may appeal to the Trump supporters who are already choosing, consciously or unconsciously, on the basis of looks, charm, or "Presidential" qualities.

        1 vote
  4. [3]
    moocow1452
    Link
    Beyond the "What if..." aspect of electoral votes going to someone not on the red or blue team, do you think that a young, experienced, non-self destructive third party candidate would have a...

    Beyond the "What if..." aspect of electoral votes going to someone not on the red or blue team, do you think that a young, experienced, non-self destructive third party candidate would have a sizable impact one way or another on this election?

    1 vote
    2. drannex
      Link Parent
      I think so. There are a tonne of republicans who won't vote for Trump or Biden, but would vote third way as protest. At the very least, a 3-6% (Liberatarians last general) draw from republicans...

      I think so.

      There are a tonne of republicans who won't vote for Trump or Biden, but would vote third way as protest.

      At the very least, a 3-6% (Liberatarians last general) draw from republicans could be beneficial.

      5 votes